Garrick

She was born in Orrville, the oldest child of William and Frances Turner Sheffield. She lived her early life in Sunny South but after she married Charles Edward “Buddy” Garrick, she lived in Lower Peach Tree and Whatley. To the marriage were born son, Charles Eugene “Gene” Garrick of Columbus, Miss. and daughter, Jan D. Garrick of Jackson, Miss. In 1956, the family moved to Quitman, Miss where her husband worked for International Paper Co. Both Gene and Jan attended school in Quitman, and Jean was a loyal supporter of the Quitman Panther football team where Gene was the quarterback and of the Quitman High School Band where Jan played in the band. Both she and Buddy delighted in the honors, which their children achieved all throughout their lives, always being their “No. 1 fan.”

In 1971 Buddy and Jean moved to Wiggins, Miss with International Paper Co. They were members of the Wiggins First Baptist Church.

Jean had a zest for life. She keenly followed current affairs, politics and sports of all kinds. Her favorite teams were the Atlanta Braves, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and the New Orleans Saints. She was a gifted photographer and she loved music and loved to dance. Her daughter, Jan, recalls some of her first memories were listening to The Hit Parade on the radio. Like so many, she loved Elvis. She also enjoyed the movies, going with her young family to see drivein movies at Grove Hill and later enjoying reading about Hollywood.

She was an animal lover always having pet dogs and cats. She enjoyed watching the birds and deer in her back yard in Wiggins. Her love of animals was recognized as many stray cats found loving homes thanks to her.

But Jean reserved her most precious love for her family. She and Buddy were married for forty-six years at the time of his death. Although she was the oldest of four girls, her sisters predeceased her. They were Ruth Sheffield McHenry of Birmingham, Annie Marcia Sheffield Morgan of Slidell, La. and Patricia Sheffield Thompson of Thomasville. Her father and mother, who also predeceased her, gave her the benefit of a Christian upbringing.

Although she was short in stature, her life was lived fully and she touched and blessed many.

Funeral services were 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 at Sunny South Baptist Church. Interment followed in the church cemetery.

She is survived by her son, Gene, and wife Pam of Columbus, Miss.; daughter, Jan of Jackson, Miss.; granddaughters, Angie Garrick Maxwell and her husband David of Florence, Miss.; and Lori Garrick Grant and her husband, Richard Grant of Nesbit, Miss. She was blessed to know and enjoy her great-grandchildren, Reese and Kadi Maxwell of Florence, Miss. and Jayme, Harrison and Macy Kate Grant of Nesbit, Miss. She is also survived by her special nieces and nephews, Sharon McHenry Brown, Long Beach, Miss.; Dana Thompson Dunn, Cindy Thompson, Donna Thompson Dungan, Teresa Thompson, all of Thomasville and their brothers, Dan Thompson and Keith Thompson. Karen Pruitt, her “special daughter,” also survives her. Her beloved surviving sisters-inlaws are Glen Garrick Collier and Maud Garrick of Montgomery and Kathleen Collier Garrick of Birmingham.

Her Wiggins “family” are Beth and Howard Coulter, Nancy and Freddie Waddle, and Tracy Waddle and her son, Cameron Freeman. It was the delight of Jean’s older life to be able to help raise Cameron whom she loved as her own. He called her Granny.